AIRBORNE SOUND TRANSMISSION ACROSS SOLID HOMOGENEOUS PLATES: A REVIEW OF THEORY AND PRACTICE FOR BUILDING ACOUSTICS APPLICATIONS

摘要

Predicting airborne sound transmission in buildings almost always requires consideration of the flanking paths. However, the most basic requirement by users of prediction models is a good estimate of the direct path for airborne sound transmission between two rooms separated by a solid homogeneous plate. The existence of a number of different theories and formulae to calculate resonant and non-resonant transmission can give the impression that this most basic of situations is not straightforward to model. In practice the choice of formulae is relatively straightforward if the required degree of accuracy is established beforehand. However, there are certain aspects that are difficult to predict accurately; the most notable of these is the dip in the vicinity of the critical frequency. This paper reviews the application of various theories to plates that are used to form building structures. The focus is on qualitative descriptions rather than the underlying formulae and derivations; these can be found in a recent book on sound insulation by Hopkins.